Christmas parades to celebrate the holiday season

Parades start Saturday in light of Christmas

Published 10:56 AM EST Dec 01, 2012

MANCHESTER, N.H. -

New Hampshire is celebrating the Christmas season Saturday with a handful of parades across the state.

In Hampton, the 3-mile parade route starts at 1 p.m. at Seacoast Harley Davidon on Route 1 in North Hampton. This parade will head up Winnacunnet Road and end at Centre School. Those roads are closed from noon until 3 p.m.

Manchester will have their second annual Santa Claus shuffle starting at 3 today. More than 3,000 participants are expected to dress up in their holiday outfits for the 3-mile course.

Immediately afterward, the Granite State Credit Union Spirit of New Hampshire will begin its festivities. This starts on Elm Street at 4 p.m.

Also showing Christmas spirit is Exeter. Its 55th annual holiday parade kicks off at 5:30 p.m.. The parade starts at the Osram plant on Portsmouth Avenue continuing onto Water Street. The participants will proceed past the bandstand where participants and winners of the annual awards will be introduced.

Last year many of the parades were accompanied by illuminated floats, horse drawn wagons and colorful marching bands.

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